


An Atomo Story

by CrunchySalad



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Canon Compliant, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-11-30
Updated: 2005-11-29
Packaged: 2017-10-19 10:48:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/200018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrunchySalad/pseuds/CrunchySalad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It starts with simple harassment, but grows to be so much more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Which They Start Dating

The whole thing was a rather odd situation for Momo to be in. He was, after all, minding his own business, intent on nothing but getting his order of cheeseburgers and soda. Then, in a confused jumble of seconds and conversation, all of the sudden Atobe was there and paying for him, and now the captain of Hyoutei's tennis team was sitting across from him as if it all wasn't very, very strange.

"My, God, Momoshiro," Atobe said, distaste clearly visible in every feature of his face, "you can stop to chew every now and then."

"What's it to you?" Momo asked around the chunks of burger meat in his mouth, one of which fell out on his plate. Then, certain he was being... well.... probably not as polite as Atobe's kind seemed to be, he swallowed his mouthful before talking again. "You don't have to keep watching me eat, yanno. Why don't you go order something?"

"Atobe Keigo eat fast food? Hardly."

"Then why'd you even come in here?" Momo asked, his tone all kinds of confused. Not that it stopped him from taking another huge bite of his cheeseburger.

"Well." Atobe smirked. "I saw you in here, and you looked so cute I just couldn't resist joining you."

Momo sputtered before quickly looking around to make sure no one heard that. "Jeez! Don't say weird things like that."

Atobe was definitely a very, very strange person.

"You're the one who asked," Atobe replied.

Feeling very awkward and extremely uncomfortable, all Momo could do was rush through his meal and try to ignore Atobe's eyes on him. The older boy seemed very amused, and Momo wondered if this were all some kind of strange joke. Maybe it was some kind of payback for Seigaku beating Hyoutei the last time they met? But then, Momo thought dejectedly, he had barely been involved in that victory at all. At any rate, he was so unnerved that he couldn't even enjoy his food.

"All right." Momo stood up abruptly, clutching the sides of his near empty tray so hard that he could feel his fingernails bending back. "I'm off."

To his utter horror, Atobe stood up and followed him to the trash can, and then outside.

"Do you need a ride?" Atobe asked, all good manners and diplomacy.

"No!"

"Then I suppose I could walk you home, though it would be rather inconvenient."

"What?" Momo was trying to unlock his bike, but he couldn't stop fumbling with and dropping the damnable lock. What the hell was Atobe talking about? "Why would you walk me home?"

Ah, there it was... now all he had to do was put the chain away, get on his bike, and peddle the hell out of there.

"Why wouldn't I walk you home? Isn't that the proper thing for a man to do, after a date?"

That was just all kinds of wrong.

"First of all," Momo said, turning to poke Atobe in his smooth and well-shaped chest, "I am not a girl. This was not a date. Second, weren't you hitting on Tachibana Ann?"

Atobe shrugged, not bothering to remove Momo's finger. "Ann is a flirt and a tease. Besides, you're even cuter than she is when you're mad."

Momo turned all shades of red at that comment. He got on his bike, prepared to peddle away, when... he got back off again and started to walk it home, very aware of the boy in step beside him. He didn't know what he was thinking. He really should have biked off, but then he had let Atobe pay for his lunch, so maybe it would be okay to let Atobe hang around for a little more. Besides, it was at most a fifteen minute walk home.

"Would you care to take a detour through the courts?"

"Don't push your luck," Momo had ground out, but Atobe only laughed at him.

Momo thanked Buddha that the trip home was relatively silent, and that he didn't have to make conversation with Atobe Keigo. He didn't know what he would have in common in with Hyoutei star, save for tennis, and talking about tennis with Atobe would only remind him of how he wasn't really a regular during the match their schools played together. As soon as they got to his house though, Momo regretted letting Atobe walk him home. Now he knew where he lived.

"This is your house?" Atobe asked, eyeing the upper middle-class abode. "How quaint."

"So, yeah," Momo said awkwardly, one hand behind his head, "thanks for the food. Later."

"Don't I get an end of the date kiss before you go?"

"What?" Momo stepped back a few steps. "I told you already, I'm not a girl, so stop treating me like one."

"Is that a no?"

"Of course it is! We're both boys!"

Atobe sighed. "Really, Momoshiro, if you're so homophobic, why on Earth did you let me buy you lunch and walk you home? You've been sending me mixed signals the whole time we've been together."

"I'm not homophobic... I just... " Momo struggled with his words, flustered. This day just kept getting odder and odder, and he wasn't sure how to handle it.

"Good. Then maybe you'd like to join me on Friday night. The tennis club is having a party at Oshitari's house. As their coach, I feel obligated to go, but the whole event might be more enjoyable if you were there."

"Huh? I-"

"Be ready by eight. I'll have a chauffeur pick you up."

Momo stood at the front gate to his house, shocked, so that by the time he came to his senses enough to call out "Atobe! Wait!", the other boy had already left and was out of sight.

"You're going out with the monkey king," Echizen snickered at him the next day. Echizen seemed to find the whole thing immensely humorous, and Momo thought in retrospect that it had been really stupid to confide in his best friend. "You two make a good couple, Momo-sempai."

"Shut up," Momo said, although it came out as a kind of whine.

"Who is Momo going out with?"

Momo sunk further into his depression... that voice was unmistakable.

"Atobe, Fuji-sempai," Echizen said. Why, oh why, did Momo think the brat would keep his mouth shut? "They had a lunch date yesterday, and they're going to a party together on Friday."

"Really. How interesting... does the rest of the club know?"

"I'm sure they will," Momo muttered under his breath, "after you tell them."

"What was that, Momo?"

"Nothing, Fuji-sempai."

"Still," Fuji turned his head to the side and smiled at Momo in that really creepy way he did sometimes, "I can't help but be jealous."

Momo was sure Fuji was anything but. "Why is that, Fuji-sempai?"

"Atobe's always bragging about his prowess on the tennis court... I can't help but think that his skill and expertise translate to other, more practical facets of his life as well."

Momo blinked as Ryoma continued to snicker. "What do you mean?"

"He means Atobe's good in bed, Momo-sempai."

Momo decided that he really hated blushing.

The week ended up passing much to quickly for Momo, and he spent all day Friday dreading eight o'clock. He debated not going home that night, and maybe sleeping over at Echizen's, and he ended up hanging out at the park by himself until about seven. After that there were forty minutes of 'should I go or not' playing out in his head, and then Oishi and Eiji happened to walk by and ask him if he shouldn't be getting ready for his date.

"I'm not getting ready for Atobe!" he had replied sharply, and Eiji had giggled and pulled Oishi away.

"Isn't he cute?" Momo could hear him saying to Oishi. "He's so in denial!"

In the end Momo had rushed home and gotten into the fancy car that waited outside his house, hoping that his parents hadn't seen it. He really didn't know how to explain it to them. As soon as the car dropped him off at Oshitari's large house though, he regretted his decision to come, a feeling that only intensified as he stepped into the party. It seemed like all two hundred plus of Hyoutei's players were there... how was he going to find Atobe? Not that he wanted to find Atobe, his head reminded him. But then, if he wasn't there to find Atobe, what was he there for?

"Ah, you're here. I was afraid you wouldn't come." Atobe's tone, however, was just as arrogant as ever, and Momo was sure Atobe was quite confident he would be there. "We must make the obligatory introductions, then."

Atobe placed a hand on Momo's back to lead him through the crowd, and though Momo near-pouted at the physical contact, he didn't do anything to try to stop it either. It seemed as though everyone there knew Atobe, which Momo guessed was understandable, but a good majority of them seemed to look at him with absolute worship in their eyes. Momo was afraid they were going to break out into chants of 'A-to-be' at any given moment. Atobe introduced Momo to some people, but Momo didn't care to listen or remember then, and when he wasn't nodding politely he was distractedly looking at the decorations on the walls. Atobe soon brought him to stand in front of a very tall silver-haired boy and a boy wearing a baseball cap.

"Momoshiro, you know Ohtori and Shishido from the tennis game."

Ah, that's right, the pair that beat Inui-sempai and Mamushi. "Hey."

"Now, Ohtori is a very nice boy, and I'm sure you two will have lots to talk about while I go take care of some business."

"What? Atobe-"

But Atobe had already rushed off. Momo couldn't believe the other boy had just left him like that, in a place where he didn't know any one. He couldn't feel any more awkward... until he looked at Ohtori, who was looking even more uncomfortable than he was.

"Umm..." Momo tried to start, racking his brain for conversations. "Yeah."

"This is just like Atobe to do this," Shishido sneered, "he never thinks about anyone else but him."

"That's not true, Shishido-san," the taller boy reprimanded, "he thinks about all of us."

Then there was more awkward silence as Shishido gazed away, while Momo and Ohtori just stared at one another.

"So... you're a second year."

"Yeah."

"So am I."

"Really? That's cool."

And more awkward silence.

"Do you want a drink?" Ohtori asked, trying to be as polite as possible.

"Yeah. Sure." Momo scratched his head. It would be rude to decline. He had never really drank any alcohol, except for maybe a little of his dad's sake sometimes at dinner, when he was curious and it was a special occasion, but never that much and never socially. He had heard stories about parties certain third years at Seigaku threw, and the involvement of kegs, and he guessed that Hyoutei was probably the same way.

Ohtori handed him a cold, frosty mug, which he just stared at. He had always imagined people at keg parties using large plastic cups. But then again, this was Hyoutei... they couldn't be exactly the same as Seigaku, or any other school for that matter, could they?

"It's not poison," Shishido sneered, and it occurred to Momo that the boy sneered a lot.

"I know that," he snapped back. So Momo sipped his beer, and hung around Shishido and Ohtori while they talked to various people he didn't know. Then he finished his beer and went off to get another one. When he came back looking for Ohtori- it's true he felt awkward with them, but at least he knew who they were, unlike his situation with every one else at the party- they were gone. Or maybe they were still where he had left them, and he was lost, Momo wasn't sure. So he sipped his new beer while aimlessly walking around the party, feeling strange and odd and out of place, and before he knew it he had lost count of how many beers he had drank.

It seemed really late, Momo thought, and maybe he should call his mom, because even though she knew he'd be out maybe she'd still be worried. How late was it any way? Momo looked down at the digital display on his cell phone, but soon realized he couldn't make sense of the numbers. Luckily, he spied a familiar little redhead out of the corner of his eyes.

"Hey!"

Some students around him turned to look at what he was making a fuss about, but the redhead was still focused on his conversation. Momo walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey! Guy that Kikumaru-sempai beat!"

"My name is Mukahi!" The small boy turned around and glared at Momo, smacking his hand off his shoulder. "I have a name. And who the hell are you?"

Mukahi looked Momo up and down, before recognition set in.

"Oh, you're the guy Atobe wants to screw."

If he wasn't already flushed and red from the alcohol, Momo thought, this would be a really good time to blush. Or try not to blush, as he had sworn to do from now on, since that conversation with Fuji. "Where's Atobe?"

Mukahi snickered. "I saw him heading upstairs. Maybe he's finding a room for you two."

"Sankyu," Momo murmured as he walked away, even though he wasn't sure why he was thanking the obnoxious redhead. He made his way up the stairs and through the hallways, but every room he knocked on seemed to be occupied, in addition to emitting embarrassing noises that he didn't really want to think about. When he found an empty room he decided to lay down on the bed and rest for awhile, because everything was starting to spin a little, and if Atobe wanted him then Atobe could look for him.

Momo thought over what Mukahi had said, and wondered if Atobe had invited him here to have sex, and if so, should he be offended or flattered? Offended, his brain reprimanded him, you should definitely be offended. But thinking about Atobe, and about sex (Momo still blushed a little bit at the word), made Momo think about Fuji and what he half-jokingly said about Atobe being good at it. It was a joke, Momo thought, at least half of one, but Fuji was always so right about things like tennis and people and human nature.

Momo shifted onto his side and pulled a random pillow towards him, wondering what sex with Atobe Keigo would be like. He wondered what sex in general would feel like, and if it would feel as good as the things he did to himself when he was alone in his room, and in the shower. Maybe, he thought, the whole thing wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it would be... really good, actually.

His thoughts meandered then, and he lay there, unable to keep track of how much time was passing. He thought it was a few hours, but it could just as likely have been a few minutes. Then the door opened, and he could hear some one walk towards him, could feel some one's weight as they sat down on the mattress. From the smell of the cologne he knew it was Atobe.

"Momoshiro."

This is it, he thought, hoping Atobe had remembered to lock the door, and he turned over onto his back. Atobe leaned down over him, placed one hand on his waist.

"Are you drunk?" Atobe asked.

"No," Momo lied, wondering how on Earth he could possible slur the word 'no'.

"You are. Come on, let's get you home before your mom worries. It's almost eleven."

Eleven? Momo would have guessed that it was much later than that. He let Atobe help him to his feet and to a waiting car, though he couldn't remember anything in between. Part of him thought that Atobe had somehow warped them there, before the still rational part of his mind told him that he was silly and drunk. His still rational mind also told him that he was stupid, because part of him was disappointed by the turn of events.

"You're taking me home?" Momo asked, once the car had started, and its constant acceleration and deceleration made Momo feel a bit sick.

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

Atobe pressed something small and cool onto Momo's lips, and Momo quickly realized it was a water bottle. He drank a good portion of it, realizing after he did so how thirsty he was.

"Don't you want to..." Momo made nonsensical gestures with his hands, "have sex?"

Atobe laughed, but Momo thought it sounded a little mean. "On our first proper date? I didn't know you were so slutty."

"First of all, this was hardly a proper date. And I told you, don't treat me like a girl."

"Boys can be slutty, too."

Momo grumbled something then, but Atobe couldn't hear what he said, and if you had asked Momo what it was a second later, he wouldn't have been able to remember. The car came to a stop.

"I suppose you don't want me to walk you to your door."

"I can handle it."

Momo reached for the door handle, pulling it down and pushing the door open... or not. He tried again, jiggling it a little. Finally, Atobe reached over, his hand on the handle and his body pressed partly against Momo's.

"Momoshiro."

Momo felt Atobe's breath on his cheek, surprisingly cool. "Yeah?"

"If you want a proper date, then would you like to go to lunch tomorrow?"

"Ummm.... yeah. Okay."

"Good."

Then Atobe pressed his lips against Momo's, and it took a long time for Momo to actually realize that he was being kissed, by Atobe Keigo of all people, and it wasn't weird or strange or odd but rather really, really nice. Several gentle yet insistent kisses, and then he could hear Atobe pulling the handle down, and he found himself standing in the middle of the cold night air. He shivered, and hoped that his mother wouldn't be too mad at him.


	2. In Which Momo is Jealous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in retrospect, Atobe's kind of a jerk in this one, and Momo lets him off a little to easily. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote this way back in 05.

Tachibana Ann pressed her face and hands to the glass. "Awww, they're so cute! Me~ew, mew-"

"Why are you making cat noises?"

"Oh." Ann straightened up and laughed a little, before she wrapped her arms around one of Momo's and pulled him away from the pet store entirely. "I don't know how to make any other animal noises. What noises do ferrets make, any way?"

"Something like..." Momo pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth and pulled it away again, making what he hoped were little rodent type noises.

"Hmm. I don't think that's it, Momo."

"At least it's better than 'mew'," Momo teased.

Ann pretended to huff indignantly. "Mew's cuter. It doesn't matter anyway, because now you're going to buy me a soda and we're going to forget all about the pet store."

"A soda?"

"And maybe some fries," Ann stated, "because I've helped you out so much in the past."

Momo wasn't about to argue with that. Truth be told, he was glad he had run into Ann today. It had been awhile since he had hung out with the girl, and she was always fun to be around. Really, she was the only girl Momo knew that could play a decent game of tennis. Not that Momo really knew that many girls. So it was to the shops for soda and fries, and then the two of them headed to the street tennis courts to see if there were any matches going on that were worth watching. Momo snuck a glance around for a certain Hyoutei player, but not finding him there, he settled in on the bench and resigned himself to watching the doubles match in front of him.

The time passed pleasantly enough. The game, though not the best Momo had ever seen, was entertaining in its own right, and it was fun to compare notes with Ann as it wore on. The whole experience was like any other time he had hung out with Ann, until Kamio showed up, and shockingly enough didn't say a word to either of them. In fact, he stayed on the other side of the court, ignoring them except to send the occasional pointed glare their way.

"Hey," Momo asked, not able to restrain his curiosity. And cold-shoulder-Kamio was getting him extremely curious. "Are you and Kamio not talking?"

Ann shrugged, then made a wave of dismissal with her hand. "I guess he's mad at me."

"For what?"

"For sleeping with Atobe."

"What?!" If he had been drinking a soda, Momo thought, and he was in a cartoon, this would be the part where he spurted said soda out into the air.

"Yeah." Ann shrugged again, as if she hadn't revealed a very personal detail about a very personal part of her life. "I mean, it was only a one night thing. I don't think either of us is interested in actually maintaining a relationship. Can you imagine, Atobe Keigo going out with some one?"

Ann giggled, as if the thought of it were hilarious.

"He's too in love with himself to make a commitment. But I guess I shouldn't really be talking."

Momo wished he did have that soda right now. At least it would give him something to do, instead of fidgeting uncomfortably. Half of him wanted Ann to just shut up, because he really didn't want to hear any more about the fact that Ann and Atobe slept together, or the fact that Atobe wasn't interested in monogamy. But half of him wanted Ann to go on, because if she stopped that meant that he would have to say something, and he really, really did not know what to say right now.

"Kamio will get over it," Ann went on, and Momo was relieved that she seemed to be wrapping it up. "I don't even see Atobe around any more; it's not like he hangs out at the same places we do. Really, when's the last time you saw him?"

"Actually," Momo muttered, instantly regretting it, "I'm dating him."

"Oh." Ann stared at him for a moment, shocked, before laughing it off. "Congratulations to the both of you, then."

The last person Momo wanted to see, after that, was Atobe Keigo, but they had already planned to meet for dinner with some of Atobe's friends. Momo contemplated skipping out on the dinner altogether, but even as he thought it over his feet had already started walking him to the sushi restaurant. By the time he decided he wasn't going to go, he was standing in front of the restaurant door, and he could see Atobe sitting at a table inside.

At the very least, Momo thought, he could eat a lot of overpriced sushi, and with that notion he walked through the door. He shuffled into the empty seat next to Atobe and glanced around to see who was there. Oshitari and Mukahi, Momo thought to himself, remembering their names, and of course Jirou. He was only briefly aware when Oshitari mumbled something about having to go and gave Jirou a kiss before leaving.

"You're awfully quiet," Atobe remarked to him, when moments passed and Momo hadn't joined the conversation.

Momo slumped down in his chair even further than he already was, and hid behind his menu. "It's nothing."

"Don't worry about it, Atobe," Mukahi snickered, "he's probably having his period or something."

"That's not nice, Gakuto," Jirou mumbled, always the good boy.

Momo could feel Atobe staring at him through the menu, probably curious as to why he hadn't snapped something back to Mukahi. Then, all of a sudden, Momo felt his menu being pulled down, and found himself in a sort of staring match with Atobe. After a few seconds Atobe, either having found what he was looking for or deciding it was pointless, let go of the menu. It snapped back up, and Momo went back to contemplating the fancy, new age sushi this restaurant was famous for.

It wasn't until Mukahi had left for the bathroom and Jirou had fallen asleep in his green tea ice cream that Momo decided to say anything about the situation at all.

"You never told me you slept with Ann," he hissed to Atobe, hating himself for sounding like that stupid Mamushi.

Atobe, for his part, only raised one of his eyebrows in an elegant arch. "I wasn't aware we were suppose to discuss previous dalliances. Should I list, then, all the people I've slept with?"

"No," Momo whispered back, perhaps still a little too loudly and harshly, as Jirou stirred a little in his sleep at the noise.

"It's cute that you're jealous, Momoshiro, but you can't be mad at me for things I did before we were a couple."

"I'm not jealous!" Momo wondered why he was still whispering, when his whispers were becoming louder than Atobe's normal speaking voice. He cleared his throat and tried again, his voice calm this time. "Listen, just forget it. I'm being stupid."

"Mm hm."

Momo thought he was done with it when he felt some one slap him, hard, on the back.

"Aww, Momo, don't be sad just because Atobe screwed some chick instead of you." Mukahi sounded highly amused by the scenario.

"Mukahi," Atobe interrupted, and Momo thought he heard a warning in his voice.

"So what if he ditched you at the party to fool around with her? It was just sex, you know, you don't buy the cow when you get the milk for free, and now he's dating you." Mukahi cackled to himself.

"Party?" Momo blinked a few times before realization hit him. "You mean, the party you invited me to that time? You actually invited me to a party, then left me by myself, so you could go have sex with some one else?"

"Well, when you say it like that," Atobe drawled, looking more annoyed with the turn of events than anything else, "it makes me look like quite the jerk, doesn't it?"

Momo opened his mouth, then closed it, then gaped at the situation before realizing he really did not know what to say to such an outrageous statement.

"Forget it," he finally spit out, pushing himself out of his chair hard enough to rattle the table and wake Jirou up. "I'm gone."

Momo didn't remember how he got from the sushi restaurant to his house, but he somehow managed, and then he collapsed onto his bed. Being upset, he decided, was really tiring. The display on his clock read 9:02, and he decided that it was the perfect time to end the day.

Momo wasn't sure how many days passed after that, but then one afternoon a familiar town car rolled up to the Seigaku tennis courts at the end of practice. It distracted the lower classmen from picking up balls for a moment before Tezuka threatened them with laps, at which point it was promptly forgotten, except by the regulars standing to the side.

"Unless Tezuka and Atobe have another fishing trip planned," Fuji remarked pleasantly to Momo, "I think it's for you."

Momo looked at the car, then back at the tennis courts. He supposed Atobe would stay there until he received some kind of acknowledgment.

"Echizen, come with me."

"Why do I have to, Momo-sempai?"

"Never mind about that, just come with me."

Momo made his way to the car, dragging a reluctant Echizen behind him. When he got there Atobe lowered the window.

"Have I given you sufficient time to cool off?"

"I'm listening, if that's what you mean."

"I'm sorry," Atobe said, and it looked as though he was sincere, "for being such a horrible cad."

"Wow," Echizen muttered, "the monkey king knows how to apologize."

"Shut up, Echizen," Momo muttered back.

"At any rate," Atobe continued, "it was before we were really a couple, and it's not as though I planned to sleep with Ann. I didn't even know she was coming to that party. Now, why don't we forget about this mess and go to the country club for tea and tennis?"

"I'm supposed to meet Ann at the street courts," Momo replied.

Atobe smirked. "Really, shouldn't I be the jealous one, with all the time you two spend together? We'll bring her along then. We can play doubles, with your best friend there."

Momo was about to say Echizen didn't like playing doubles, when he heard a car door open and saw his kouhai already sitting inside the car.

"I've always wanted to see inside the country club," Echizen remarked, when Momo gave him an incredulous expression.

Atobe smiled. "So it's decided then."

They picked up Ann, who was vaguely surprised and thoroughly delighted to hear of the change of plans.

"I'm glad I wore this, then," Ann laughed, twirling around in her new white and blue tennis outfit.

Momo looked down at his own clothes, which were very casual and non-country club, but decided it didn't matter. No one would even think of saying anything, because he was Atobe's guest, and Echizen was dressed even worse then he was.

When they got to the courts Momo took a detour to the bathroom, and when he came out Atobe and Ann were on one side of the court, while Echizen was on the other. He was almost aghast to see that Atobe and Ann's tennis outfits seemed to match perfectly.

"Echizen," Momo whispered to his friend, "why aren't you paired with Ann?"

Echizen smirked. "Sorry, Momo-sempai. I didn't realize you wanted to be with your boyfriend."

"Nevermind!" Momo exclaimed, heading into position to serve.

The game passed by normally enough, until about halfway through, and Momo saw Atobe touch Ann's shoulder and whisper something in her ear. It was something about the game, Momo knew, some bit of strategy, but still... when the next chance ball came along, he didn't even think about it. There was something else driving him, something completely irrational, and he jumped up into the air and dunk smashed that ball right into Atobe's face.

Ann yelped as Atobe fell over, and then several staff members rushed from the sides to help the young boy up and off the courts. A few minutes later Momo found himself sitting in some back room while Atobe lay on a couch beside him, an ice pack over his right eye.

"Do you feel better now, having injured me?"

Momo smiled, realizing that hitting Atobe with a tennis ball had in fact made him feel a lot better. "Yeah."

"I'm glad at least that you're back to your normal self. Just so I know, will you be giving me a black eye every time you get mad at me?"

"Maybe."

"Hm. I suppose that's only fair." Atobe held out his hand and wriggled his fingers in a most ungraceful way, and Momo took that as a cue to interlace their fingers together. It was still really weird, he thought, to hold hands with Atobe Keigo, but maybe he would get used to it one day. "You don't have to be jealous."

"Yeah," Momo admitted, sheepish, "I figured."

"I'm dating you, you know."

"No, really? I hadn't noticed."

"Just so we're understood." Atobe let go of Momo's hand and pushed himself off the couch. "Now, shall we continue our game?"

Momo stood up and grabbed onto Atobe's hand again, and the two walked out to rejoin Ann and Echizen on the courts.


	3. In Which Momo Loses his Virginity

Sex was something that was constantly on Momo's mind, from the moment he woke up sporting morning wood to the second his head hit the pillow and it entered his dreams in the shape of girls that were soft and wet. He thought about it when he was making out with Atobe, and Atobe's tongue fucking his mouth made him wonder what real fucking would feel like. Kissing would make him hard, and when Atobe pressed against him, he could feel on his leg that Atobe was hard too. And still, Momo hadn't actually had sex yet.

It's not as though he didn't want to. It's just that... he had always imagined his first time would be with a girl. Some one like Ann, maybe, some one small with soft skin and a nice smell. And though Atobe was well pampered, there was nothing soft about him, and though Momo liked his musky scent, he smelled nothing like the floral and soapy fragrances that girls always seemed to have around them. Atobe was a boy, plain and simple. He was better groomed than most boys, but he still felt like a boy and smelled like a boy. And Momo's wet dreams had always featured girls.

One day, when he knew the rest of his family was occupied with their own personal matters, he locked the door to his room and googled 'gay porn' on his computer. He had looked at women fondling their breasts and spreading their legs before, had seen pictures of A.V. stars moaning as cock was shoved up their pussies, but he had never seen men in the act before. He flushed to look at the pictures he found, pictures of young men in seeming ecstasy as they were fucked up their asses by incredibly large cocks, pictures of men coming all over other men's faces, pictures of men rubbing their cocks together and dripping with pre-come. He felt himself getting hard, and rubbed through the fabric of his jeans. It was embarrassing, but he couldn't stop looking for more images.

It was a turn on, seeing all these men's cocks. It was even more of a turn on to see their cumshots, to see semen shooting out of them. Momo would stare intently at the pictures of young men fucking each other up the ass, and wondered if he was really willing to let Atobe do that to him. What would it feel like to have Atobe up inside of him, fucking him, and would Atobe cum inside of him or pull out and cum on his skin instead. What would that feel like, to have some one else's cum coating your body.

That night in bed Momo stroked himself thinking about men and cocks and Atobe's cock in particular, and what it would look like sliding in and out of his ass. With one hand he reached down to his hole, and though he traced the rim and pressed the pad of his fingertip inside just a little, he couldn't bring himself to slide a finger in.

* * *

"Sempai-tachi," Echizen said, looking up from tying his shoelaces, "are we going to get cheeseburgers today?"

Momo almost didn't notice the fact that Echizen said anything, distracted by the same thoughts that had kept him occupied for at least a few days now.

"Forget it!" Kikumaru whined, and the noise brought Momo a little bit back down to Earth. "I have to get home early today. Besides, I'm broke because of you two."

"Hmmm. Oishi and I were going to get something to eat. You two could come with us."

"Are you paying, Fuji-sempai?" Echizen asked.

"I don't mind."

Momo was only vaguely aware when Echizen and his two sempais started walking off, and it took him a few moments to drag himself after them. Of course, Oishi noticed, and kept looking back on him as they walked to whatever restaurant they were going to. Finally, after walking a few blocks, Oishi slowed his pace until he was side by side with Momo.

"Momo, is there something wrong?"

"Not that I know of." Momo rubbed the back of his head, trying to think why Oishi thought there was something wrong with him. "Why?"

"You seem... out of sorts, lately. Distracted, maybe?"

"Eh?" Realization hit Momo and he looked away, embarrassed. "Oh. Don't worry about it, it's nothing."

It was then that Momo looked up and saw Fuji looking back at him, smiling in that way he did sometimes. The smile he used whenever other people had to drink auzo. He felt a shiver run down his back.

"If Momo's acting funny, there can only be one reason," Fuji said, trailing off before turning to face forward again.

"What's that, Fuji-sempai?" Echizen asked.

Fuji turned to his kouhai and held a finger to his lips. "Hi... mit... su."

Oishi shot glances back and forth between Momo and Fuji, and Momo knew that Oishi's sense of concern and his respect for other people's privacy were fighting it out within his mind. Either way, Fuji probably wasn't going to keep his secret for much longer.

"Fuji," Oishi started, though his tone was still hesitant, "what's wrong with Momo?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Fuji asked. "When some one's like this, it means they're having problems. In bed."

At least, Momo thought, that was one way to get Oishi to stop questioning him. For his part, Oishi looked predictably embarrassed, while Echizen snickered at them and Fuji just looked amused.

"Momo-sempai, is the monkey king bad in bed?"

"Geez, I'm not going to answer that," Momo replied, trying to not to get too flustered. By his side, Oishi looked away and pretended that he couldn't hear the conversation.

"That just means," Fuji explained, "that they haven't had sex yet."

"Fuji-sempai!" Momo whined. How did Fuji do that?

"It can't be that you're scared, is it, Momo?"

"Scared?" Echizen asked, as if it were the most curious thing in the world. "You're not a virgin, are you, Momo-sempai?"

"Do we have to talk about this?" Momo complained, almost yelling.

"He is," Echizen and Fuji said in unison, and, oh, how Momo hated Echizen's smirk and Fuji's smile.

"Oh..." Fuji's eyes opened a little bit, and he stopped walking. "Let's go in here for a bit."

"The convenience store?" Oishi asked.

"I want to get Momo a gift. It's the least I can do, as his sempai."

"Umm... I'll wait out here." Oishi took a seat on the bench as his friends disappeared inside the shop.

Once inside the convenience store, Momo was relieved that the topic of his sex life had been unceremoniously dropped. It was just strange, talking about those kinds of things with Fuji and Echizen. But then, when he saw that they had ended up in front of a wall of condoms, he didn't know why he hadn't seen it coming.

"Do you think Atobe would be an extra extra large?" Fuji asked, holding a small box up next to his smile as if he were advertising toothpaste.

"Fuji-sempai!" Then, a short pause later, "He's just a little above average."

"Aa." Fuji put the box marked 'XXL' back on its shelves. "So you two have fooled around, even if you haven't gone all the way yet."

Momo didn't even bother being indignant that time. He wouldn't give Fuji the satisfaction.

"You'll need this too, Momo-sempai."

Momo turned to see Echizen holding a bottle of KY jelly, and tried very hard not to just gape at the first year. "How the hell do you know all about this stuff, Echizen?"

"Himitsu," Echizen murmured, tugging down on his baseball cap. And unlike Fuji, Echizen kept all the really interesting secrets to himself.

Fuji plucked the bottle of lubricant out of Echizen's hand and walked off, leaving the other two boys to follow him. He stopped in front of the moisturizers and lotions, and picked out a small bottle of hand sanitizer. "You'll need this too, Momoshiro."

"Hmm?" Echizen stared at the bottle. "What's that for, Fuji-sempai?"

"You're very thoughtful, Echizen, but mada mada dane."

Fuji chuckled, and Echizen glared a little at his sempai. That was his catch phrase, dammit. They followed Fuji into the store's too small to fit three people bathroom, and waited as Fuji cleaned out the bottle and filled it with lubricant.

"Saa. Lubricant's too flashy," Fuji explained, "Nothing screams 'I'm a fag' more than a tube of KY jelly in your backpack. Now, a bottle of hand sanitizer... that's discrete."

"I'm going to keep this stuff in my backpack?"

"Of course. You should always be prepared."

"Fuji-sempai," Ryoma said, in a mock-reverent tone, "you're so wise in the art of sexual gratification."

"Yes, Grasshopper, you still have much to learn."

Sometimes, Momo just didn't understand his friends. After eating Momo went home, where his mother met him at the door.

"Takeshi, there you are," she said, a smile on her face. "Atobe-kun called while you were out. He's so charming, that boy."

Momo rolled his eyes. His mother had been in love with Atobe since the two had first spoken on the phone.

"He wanted to invite you to sleep over at his house tomorrow. He' so sweet, isn't he? Of course I said you'd go, so he expects you to be ready for dinner by six. You've been spending a lot of time with him lately, haven't you? Didn't you just sleep over at his house all last weekend? I suppose it's good though, because he's so well mannered. I can only hope and pray that some of his etiquette will rub off on you. Really, you must have him over for dinner some time, he seems like such a nice boy. He sounds so handsome.... squee... and I heard the Atobe family is very beautiful-"

But at that point in his mother's speech, Momo had already made it upstairs and to his room, where he couldn't hear the ranting any more. When his mother got excited about something she could go on forever about it. He wondered what his mom would think if she knew he and Atobe were actually going out, but then he remembered the boys love mangas he found hidden in her nightstand, and decided she'd actually take it pretty well.

Momo deposited his back pack on his bed, and stared down at the seemingly innocent plastic bag in his hand. He looked between his backpack and the bag several times, before taking out the condoms and lip balm. Curious, he opened the box, and pulled out a string of about six square foil packets. He folded them together, considered, and then opened the front pocket of his backpack and shoved them to the very bottom. He shook up his bags several times, just to make sure that the condoms wouldn't jostle to the surface, and then threw the bottle in and zipped it shut again.

There. Now he was ready for sleepovers and maybe quickies during lunch, if Atobe ever felt inclined to come to Seigaku during that class period.

The next day Atobe picked Momo up at six as promised and took him to a Brazilian grill before they went back to Atobe's mansion. One of the better perks of dating Atobe, Momo decided, was that he got to eat delicious (but expensive) food from all over the world whenever he wanted.

"Brush your teeth," Atobe told him, when they got back to Atobe's room. "Your breath smells like cow."

Atobe then gave him a slap in the ass to get him going, and though Momo glared at the older boy he still headed towards the bathroom. Once there he grabbed Atobe's toothbrush, and squeezed on some of that horrible lime flavored toothpaste that Atobe seemed to prefer.

"Momoshiro, your mother told me she baked some cookies for me," Momo heard Atobe call from outside the bathroom.

"In my back pack," he replied, in between spitting his toothpaste out and scrubbing his tongue. A few moments later he finished up and spit out the last of the toothpaste, then headed out to see if Atobe was done changing. He saw Atobe standing in front of his backpack, holding onto a very familiar string of small, silver squares.

"Momoshiro," Atobe asked, turning to face him, "what exactly are you doing in class to necessitate the use of these?"

"I forgot they were in there," Momo admitted, more to himself than to Atobe.

"That's very nice and all, but that didn't really answer my question."

Momo walked towards the bed, pulling off his shirt and pants along the way. Maybe if he didn't say anything Atobe would figure it out on his own, or drop the subject entirely. Crawling into the excessively large bed, Momo wasn't sure which situation he would have preferred.

"Really, it's not fair if you're letting some one else screw you when you won't even let me do it."

"Atobe, stop being such a jerk and get in bed." Momo thought Atobe was going to make some kind of smart comment in reply, but the other boy just shrugged and turned off the lights. As Momo's eyes adjusted to the light he could hear Atobe padding to the bed, and he could hear the sound of the condoms being deposited on the nightstand.

The bed barely made a sound as Atobe lowered himself onto it, and then Atobe's hand was on his waist, and Atobe's lips were on his own. Atobe's kisses started out soft and light, almost barely there, and then grew firmer and more insistent. Then Atobe traced his tongue over Momo's lips, and Momo obediently parted his mouth, and before he even realized it Atobe's body was in between his legs and flush against his, and his hands were tangled in Atobe's hair.

Momo groaned. Atobe was rubbing against him, and he could feel Atobe's hard-on rocking against his own through the thin fabric of their boxers. Their kisses were sloppy now, more urgent, and Momo was having a hard time remembering to breath through all the sensations.

Momo moved his face to the side, breaking off the kiss. "Atobe, just do it already."

"Yeah?" In some far corner of his mind that wasn't clouded with sexual pleasure, Momo was pleased to note that the usually perfect Atobe Keigo seemed as dazed and out of breath as he was.

But then Atobe was licking and sucking on his neck, and Atobe's hand was reaching into his boxers, and even that corner of his mind receded into bliss.

"Mmm..."

Atobe's hand was moving up and down his shaft, firm and tight and exactly how he like it. He reached down to reciprocate when he felt Atobe's hand push his away. Then he felt Atobe tugging on the waistband of his boxers, pulling them down, and felt his cock and balls exposed to the air.

"Atobe-"

But that was as far as he got before he saw Atobe moving down his body, and he felt Atobe run his tongue over his cock, one swipe from balls to tip before he pressed a kiss against the head of it and sat up on the bed. Atobe's hands were on his waistband again, but this time he was pulling his boxers all the way off, and Momo was left naked on the bed.

"I like it when you say my name," Atobe said, his voice low and husky, and he lowered himself in between Momo's legs again. "I like hearing your voice."

Momo watched as Atobe's head dipped lower, and then Momo's eyes were closed, just lost in everything that was going on. He was in Atobe's mouth now, hot and wet and oh so talented, and wasn't it only fitting that Atobe would be as perfect at this as he was at everything else? There was a pressure on his asshole, then something slick and slender pushed into him, and it didn't feel strange at all. Atobe's fingers pushed deep inside of him, and when they stopped, he only wanted them to go deeper. In the periphery of his senses he could hear himself moaning, and he might have been moaning Atobe's name, or maybe countless repetitions of 'more'. It felt so good, so much better than he had ever imagined, and then Atobe's mouth moved off him and he suddenly felt so empty.

There was the sound of something tearing, and Momo almost came out of the haze that had absorbed him so, but then he felt Atobe's body kneeling in front of him, and could feel something much larger than two fingers pushing into him. He almost lost his breath as he felt himself being filled, and the thought that Atobe was inside him was somehow so much more erotic than the absolute physical pleasure the action invoked. Atobe's hands were on his thighs, pushing them apart, and he felt Atobe seem to sink into him and stop. Then Atobe was pulling out again, and it felt so empty and wrong, but then he was back in and it was okay. It was like all the nerves of his body were now located where he was joined to Atobe, and all he felt was Atobe's cock moving in and out of him.

Momo was only vaguely aware when his thighs were pushed up over Atobe's shoulders, but then Atobe was leaning into his body, and his cock pushed even deeper than before. Atobe's fucked him long and slow and hard, and Momo could feel every inch and every second of it. Atobe was kissing him now, those hot, wet kisses while they were still joined and fucking, and Momo felt himself coming without even having to touch himself. His orgasm traveled in waves from his cock and ass to the very tips of his fingers and toes. His whole body felt as though it were coming, and it felt so good, and lasted so long, and the intensity was so much Momo thought he might pass out from it. When it started to subside he realized that he was empty again, and Atobe was tossing a used condom into a nearby wastebasket.

Momo didn't resist when he was pushed onto his side, he was barely even aware of it, and he only faintly noticed that now there was a blanket over him. Atobe spooned against his back, pulling him to his chest. Then, with one of Atobe's arms under his head, and the other wrapped around his side and over his chest, Momo fell asleep.


	4. In Which Ryoma and Eiji Live it Up

"Nya! It's so hot!" Kikumaru made a show of slowly collapsing at the foot of the bench, the back of his hand pressed against his forehead. "I think I'm going to faint..."

"How can you faint, Kikumaru-sempai, when you're already laying down?" Echizen asked from his spot on the bench, where he was sitting back to back with Momo.

Momo, for his part, decided not to say anything, because talking would require energy, something he was currently using to think cool thoughts. Grass, he thought, wondering why he wasn't laying on some right now... ice, ice cream, the fast food restaurant that they had just left from... "Hey, Kikumaru-sempai, shouldn't you treat your kouhai to some dessert?"

There went his no-talking policy.

"Momo! You guys spent all my money on meat buns!" Kikumaru pouted as he thought of his empty wallet. "Doesn't your house have air conditioning, Momo?"

"My Dad won't turn it on yet. He says it's too early in the season."

"Mine too. What about you, Ochibi?" For a moment Kikumaru's voice filled with hope, but Echizen's answer was swift and punishing.

"Yadda. We're not going to my house."

Momo briefly wondered why it was that none of them had ever been allowed into Echizen's house, when his hand brushed up against a lump in his pocket. Was it money? He thought of the ice cream parlor, and a nice root beer float. He reached a hand in his pocket, and pulled out to reveal a small, metallic key.

"Here," Atobe has said, a few days ago, and then he had tossed Momo something small and silver. "I had an extra one made for Kabaji, but it turns out he doesn't need it."

From the plush cushions of Atobe's bed, Momo had turned the key over and over in his palm. "What's it for?"

"The back door leading to my quarters."

"You don't need it?"

"Hardly," Atobe had scoffed, as if the question wasn't even worth answering. "Why should I? Doors open for me."

In the heat of the afternoon, the key felt cool in Momo's hand, and he suddenly knew where they could go that was certain to have air conditioning.

Some minutes later, the three boys were navigating the maze that was Atobe's mansion, careful not to make any loud noises.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Kikumaru whispered, though it still came out loudly enough to hurt Momo's ears a little.

"Yeah," Momo whispered back, "Atobe has special tutoring on Saturdays until three. Training to be take over his dad's company or something, I don't know."

"If it's okay," Echizen asked, not bothering to speak in anything but his normal tone, "why do we have to sneak around?"

Echizen was always such a smartass. Momo was thinking of something clever to say back when he found the door that he was looking for. "Ah! Here it is."

Momo opened the door and Kikumaru bolted inside, while Echizen followed at a casual rate.

"This is so cool!" Kikumaru cried. "I can't believe some one we know lives in a room like this!"

Kikumaru stood in the middle of the room and proceeded to test out the echo.

"Hoi, hoi!" he called, and 'hoi, hoi!' the room called back.

Momo watched, aghast, as his sempai jumped into Atobe's large bed and proceeded to sink into the pillows and plush, plush blanket.

"Momo, you're so lucky you get to sleep in here all the time. It feels like laying in a cloud."

"Eh... I don't sleep here all the time, Kikumaru-sempai." Momo scratched his head. Maybe bringing his friends here wasn't such a great idea. That's when he heard Echizen's voice, coming towards him as though from some great distance away.

"Monkey king's closet is really big, sempais." A few moments later Echizen appeared from the closet door, a Hyoutei jersey draped over him. "Do I look good? Maybe I should have gone to Hyoutei instead."

That's when Kikumaru sprung up and started jumping up and down on the bed. Pillows were being thrown into the air and onto the floor, while the blankets became noticeably more ruffled. "Oooh! Momo, let's go in the pool! Atobe has a pool, rightr?"

"Kikumaru-sempai," Momo whined, really regretting this stupid idea, "we don't have trunks."

"There are plenty of trunks here," Echizen replied, and Momo wondered exactly when Echizen had gotten those three pairs of swimming trunks in his hands.

Momo could only watch as clothes were thrown around the room, and then Kikumaru and Echizen were changed and staring at him.

"Momo, aren't you coming?"

It was a total defeat.

"Yeah," Momo replied, dejected, and he changed into a pair of Atobe's trunks. "But keep it down!"

Once again, Momo led the boys through the hallways, careful to watch out for any servants. It turned out, though, that Momo wasn't much of a lookout, and as he turned one corner he walked straight into a very prim and proper chest.

"Ah, Momo-chan-sama," came a vaguely familiar voice, "I thought I heard your voice."

"Momo-chan-sama?" Echizen whispered, snickering a little bit.

"Umm..." Momo's eyes darted from side to side, trying to think of an excuse for being there. "You see, I was looking for Ato-"

"You should have told us you were having company over. Is there anything I can get you three?"

Momo blinked up at the servant. His friends, who weren't as easily confused as Momo was, promptly yelled out their orders.

"Nya, can I have an ice cream sundae? With strawberry ice cream?"

"A banana split for me."

Momo glared at his friends, but they didn't seem to be looking at him.

"Mmm," Ryoma murmured after what seemed to be a short period of introspection, "and have them brought to the pool."

"Of course, sir."

The servant walked away, and Momo wondered if he was going to get in trouble for this.

Four root beer floats and a fruit cup later, Momo didn't care. He was floating on an inflatable raft in the middle of the pool, periodically floating under the pool side sprinklers, and Echizen and Kikumaru were having another cannonball contest. Echizen was, of course, winning, though Kikumaru was doing the loveliest aerial summersaults. It was hot and sunny, but he was cool and relaxed, and most of all full, and life couldn't have been any better. Sakura, one of the cute servant girls, smiled at him as she placed a rather large raspberry meringue on a table, and he waved casually back.

Aa. Life was good.

After their fingertips started getting all gross and pruny, and their stomachs were full from all the food they had eaten, Echizen and Kikumaru grabbed their t-shirts and headed back home. Momo promised to get their clothes from the room for them. He whistled as he strolled back to Atobe's room, listening to his voice echo slightly in the halls, and then opened the door to Atobe's bedroom.

Atobe was standing next to the rumpled bed. In his right hand was a tiny pair of white briefs, and in his other was a pair of pink boxer shorts covered in red cats.

"Momoshiro," Atobe drawled, his eyebrow extended in an elegant arch, "if you were going to have a ménage a trois in my room, the least you could have done was invite me to join."


	5. In Which Tezuka Goes Shopping

"Ouch!" Momo rubbed at his nose and stared at the door that had just injured it. He took a deep breath, and knocked for the second time in as many minutes.

Apparently, although Tezuka had no qualms about shutting the door in his kouhai's face, he was too polite not to answer it.

"Tezuka-buchou, pleaaaaase," Momo begged. Tezuka tried to close the door again, but Momo jammed his foot into it. "You have to help me!"

Tezuka gave a long-suffering sigh and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Why me? Why not... Fuji? He's good at things like this."

"Because you're Atobe's best friend, so you know what he'd like for his birthday."

"Atobe is not my best friend."

Momo blinked. "Then why are you always going on fishing trips together?"

"Family tradition," Tezuka explained. He was getting a headache. "Momoshiro, why do you need to get Atobe a birthday present?"

"Buchou..." Momo really hadn't thought he'd need to explain this. Didn't Tezuka already know? "I guess you could say Atobe and I are dating. We've been dating for awhile."

"Aa." Tezuka rubbed at his temples. First Inui had kept calling about some scandal involving Echizen and photographs, and now this. "Please remove your foot, Momoshiro."

"Please, Tezuka-buchou." Momo clasped his hands together in front of his face and bowed his head a little. "As my captain?"

Tezuka really couldn't find a way to say no to that. So several minutes later Tezuka found himself following Momo down the street, as they headed to the shopping district.

"So..." Momo trailed off as they reached the shops. "What do you buy for some one like Atobe. What did you get him?"

"Leucippe and Clitophon. In its original Greek."

Momo frowned. It's true that Atobe spent most of his free time reading, but getting him a book would be so boring. But what exactly did you get the boy who had everything? Sex, maybe, Momo thought, as they stopped in front of a shop window that would have been discrete, as the owners had placed sheets of brown paper behind it to shield the view into the store. Of course, the boxes of genitalia shaped pasta stacked at the bottom of the window, in addition to the words 'Forbidden Fruits Adult Toy Store' written across it, made it fairly clear what was inside the shop.

"Don't even think about," came a voice behind him, and Momo turned around to see a very pale-faced Tezuka.

Momo imagined himself in an edible thong, and agreed. They continued down the street. They passed by all manner of stores, and Momo gazed at the objects on display on the windows. There were shirts and movie videos and digital cameras and toy rockets, among dozens of other things, and none of them were right. And Tezuka was no help at all... his captain barely even spoke unless necessary.

Momo came to a stop in front of an electronics store, pressing his palms to the glass to look inside. An mp3 player, to add to Atobe's small collection of mp3 players? It was true he didn't have one to match his new cell phone yet. Or maybe an electronic dog, since Atobe seemed to hate real pets. Momo sighed. Atobe would hate an electronic pet as well.

"Momoshiro, maybe you shouldn't be focusing on material things."

"Eh?"

"Maybe it's enough to spend time together."

That's a stupid idea, Momo thought, they spent time together all the time. But then his eyes caught on a poster advertising some Spanish opera. "That's a good idea, buchou."

Momo hated any kind of classical music (in his mind opera was synonymous with Beethoven and Mozart). He especially hated classical music concerts (and operas, though they were the same thing as far as Momo was concerned), where he had to dress up and sit still for a good two hours. But he knew Atobe liked that kind of stuff, so Momo thought, he could deal with it for one night.

That night Momo climbed into his bed secure in the knowledge that he had a suitable gift for Atobe. Atobe, who was already in bed and reading his latest book. It was a book about financing, as Momo had found out when he asked Atobe about it the other night, and Atobe's explanation had put him to sleep faster than a sleeping pill ever had.

"What time do you need to wake up?" Momo asked, picking up his alarm clock in both hands.

"Five will be fine."

"Remember to turn the light off when you're finished." Momo yawned, and nestled into his blankets.

From his side he heard Atobe sigh, then say, "Aren't we the proper married couple, settled into our little routines."

"What?" Momo rolled over and stared at his boyfriend. "We are not."

Atobe just shrugged and flipped a page in his book. "I suppose next you'll be having headaches whenever I want to have sex."

"Hey, why am I the wife in this pairing? And don't say things like 'sex', my parents are just down the hallway."

"Ah, yes, the in-laws."

Momo threw a pillow at Atobe, knocking the book out of his hand and onto the floor. Atobe stared down at his now empty hands.

"Oh, you'll pay for that."

Momo nearly knocked over the clock when Atobe tackled him, and then he felt lips pressing against his own. They made out and wrestled on the bed for some minutes, but when things looked like they might be going further than that Momo pushed away.

"Parents," he explained. "We're too loud."

"Tease," Atobe accused, but he rolled over to his side, an arm still over Momo's waist. "That's why we should have our sleepovers at my house."

Momo shrugged and reached over to turn off the light. "Mom wanted to make you dinner."

"Mmm. Your mother is a delightful host. She has a tendency to squeal quite often though, doesn't she?"

"That's only because she's in love with you," Momo explained. "She's, like, Keigo fan number one."

"I see." Atobe smiled a little bit, looking down at Momo. "That sounds nice, coming from you. My given name, that is."

Keigo. Momo wondered if he could actually call Atobe by his given name, and decided no, it would still be too weird. "Of course you think so. You can't get enough of hearing your own name."

"How true." Atobe traced circles on Momo's side. "Hmm, I almost forgot, I won't be able to see you until Saturday night."

Saturday was Atobe's birthday. "About Saturday..."

"You don't have plans, do you? My parents always throw a birthday party for me. They invite every one they know, I invite every one I know, and the whole thing is a tedious bore. I hate to subject you to that kind of torture, but I also hate to think of spending my birthday without you."

Momo thought of the opera tickets he had gotten for Saturday night, and thought he really was an idiot for not considering the Atobe family might already have longstanding plans. Atobe was still staring down at him, his expression oddly blank, void of the pride that usually shaped his features. "Yeah. I mean, of course I'll go."

"Good," Atobe breathed out, squeezing Momo's side with his hand for a second. "It really would have been a most dreadful affair without you."

Come Sunday Momo still hadn't found a gift to replace his now useless opera tickets. He hadn't even been able to change the tickets for a different date, as the whole engagement had become sold out. So now he was sitting in Atobe's town car, en route to Atobe's mansion, feeling stuffy and hot in a brand new formal suit. A suit that Atobe had shown up at his house with just moments ago.

"Stop fidgeting," Atobe said, though he was staring out the window and not at Momo.

Momo looked over, and saw the both of them in the reflection of the window. Atobe looked different, he thought, and he saw his face pull itself into a slightly concerned expression. Usually, Atobe carried himself in a way that made people look at him, a way that seemed to say 'I'm better than you'. Now, he looked... almost average, and it reminded Momo of that blank expression of a few nights ago.

"Hey," Momo said, moving forward and placing a hand on Atobe's shoulder to get the other boy to turn towards him. "Happy birthday."

He leaned forward to press a kiss against Atobe's lips.

"Thank you, Momoshiro, but your tie is crooked." Atobe reached forward with both his hands, presumably to undo and then redo Momo's tie. Momo could feel Atobe's knuckles move against his chest through the shirt fabric, and he watched as the lights from outside the car flashed and ghosted across Atobe's peculiarly vacant features. There was a whole world to Atobe that he wasn't yet privy to, Momo thought, all those reasons why Atobe barely spoke to his parents, the reason why he so detested his own birthday party.

Atobe's knuckles were resting on his chest now, arrested.

"You don't have to go, you know," Momo mumbled.

"I have to go." Atobe released his grip on Momo's tie, letting his hands rest at his sides instead. "We all have duties. I have my own, as a captain, as a student, and most of all, as the heir to the Atobe family. I have to go."

When they got to the party Atobe had to leave to greet what looked to be rather important people, and he cast an apologetic glance at Momo.

"I don't mind," Momo mouthed as Atobe left. He watched as Atobe bowed to several men, one of which looked like the current governor, and Momo thought how odd it was to see Atobe in such a humble position. At least, he thought, making his way to one of the servers that was flitting about carrying trays of hors d'oeuvres, there was bound to be good food at an Atobe party.

Momo grabbed some of the cocktail snacks and continued walking around. He spied Tezuka in the crowd with his parents, holding a book-shaped package. The wrapping paper was grey, go figure. Even Tezuka's gift wrap was boring. He moved on, then saw Jirou and Oshitari in the corner. Jirou was surprisingly awake and even animated, laughing at something Oshitari had just said, and Oshitari had his arm against the wall as he leaned over the shorter boy. Momo figured they wouldn't mind if he joined them, and he made his way over.

Jirou was the first one who noticed him, and he smiled and waved. "Momo. We haven't seen you in awhile."

"I imagine," Oshitari said, that ever-present smirk on his face, "Atobe has been keeping him occupied."

Emphasis on the 'occupied'.

"I wouldn't talk," Momo replied. "Atobe tells me you guys have been having a fun time keeping each other occupied, especially when you think no one else is in the club room."

Jirou suddenly turned a cute, pink color, and after a second Oshitari started laughing.

"Touché."

The three fell into companionable conversation, and Momo decided he really did like Atobe's friends. Well, except for maybe that Mukahi, because some people just didn't know when to stop with the sexual innuendo. Momo didn't even see Atobe until three awkward silences and another trip around the hors d'oeuvres later, but then he felt some one grab hold of his arm, and he was pulled into a bathroom.

"I thought I'd never be rid of them."

"Who?" Momo asked, as Atobe straightened his suit in the mirror.

"Sycophants, most of them."

"Even the mayor?"

"Especially the mayor." At least Atobe seemed to be back to normal. Atobe turned and smiled at him. "Having fun, are you?"

Momo shrugged. "I'm not having a horrible time."

"I thought since I managed to get away for a little bit, I could open your present."

"Huh?" Momo rubbed at the back of his head and looked away, embarrassed. "Oh, I couldn't find you anything after all."

"Don't be silly, Momoshiro, of course you did." Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Atobe pulled out the envelope Momo had wrapped the opera tickets in.

"Where did you get that?" Momo sputtered, reaching up to grab the envelope.

Atobe looked highly amused as he held it out of Momo's reach. "I saw it when I picked you up. You're such a forgetful fool, in an absolutely endearing way of course, that I assumed you overlooked it. It's lucky my name was on it, or else I'd never have known."

"Aw, gee..." Momo frowned as Atobe opened the envelope. "I got it before I even knew about this party, and when I found out, I figured it'd be best just not to bring it up."

Atobe pulled two tickets out of the envelope and smiled as he read them. He looked up at Momo, then at the curtained window at the end of the bathroom.

"You know, Momoshiro, I believe I've fulfilled most of my duties for tonight. If we sneak out now, we can make the opera before curtain call." Atobe held out his hand. "What do you say?"

Later on, as Momo held Atobe's hand and listened to the older boy translate Spanish lyrics into his ear, Momo decided that opera wasn't so bad after all.


	6. In Which Momo Meets the Parents

One moment the television was tuned to the fuzzy gray of a dead channel, and the next moment Atobe's face was staring down at them from an interviewer's couch. It was some news special about Japan's most talented youths, and they were talking about the numerous scholastic achievements Atobe had won, but Momo couldn't really hear it because his mother was currently squealing in his ear.

"Keigo-kun's even more beautiful on television! No, I change my mind, he's more beautiful in real life. No, on television- ahhhh- no, he's perfect all the time! If only I was twenty years younger-"

Momo tried to drone his mother out as she flushed red and went on and on about Atobe. It was bad enough that his mother was fangirling, but did she have to do it with her husband and three children in the room? But then, actually, this might be the moment that Momo had been waiting for.

Yes, Momo decided, it was about time he told his family. After all, they all knew Atobe, the boy had been over often enough... they had probably wondered exactly why a Hyoutei boy would spend so much time with a rival student. Momo's heart sped up as he thought about how they would react. Would they be shocked? Angry? Disgraced? He took a deep breath. "Mom. Dad. Koji. Misaki."

His family turned to him, features expectant.

"About Atobe... well, he's my..." My what, Momo thought. Boyfriend? But the word sounded so odd, felt so strange laying on his tongue. "... lover."

Ack. Lover sounded even stranger, but it was too late now.

"Gah?" his mother asked, before turning crimson red. "You... Keigo-kun... but he's much too good for you..."

"Mom!" Momo would have reprimanded her some more, but his mother had passed out and was laying on the kitchen floor, a bit of blood seeping out of her nose. His mother was so weird... it must be all those boys love manga she liked to read.

His father sighed then, and Momo turned to him, prepared for a lecture on homosexuality. Instead, his father muttered a low "such is fate" before going back to his breakfast.

"Don't worry, aniki," his brother said, giving him a pat on his shoulder, "the Momoshiro family name will be carried on by me."

His sister was pouting. "Does this mean I can't marry Atobe-sama when I grow up?"

Momo gave a long suffering sigh. Why couldn't his family ever react normally to anything? Well, Momo thought, at least it felt good not to be hiding his relationship with Atobe anymore.

Momo didn't think anything more of it, and went about the next few days in his normal fashion. Even his family carried on as usual, even though they now knew he had a male lover, though his mother would sometimes glance at him and mumble "what a waste". Aside from that, Momo supposed it was good that his family was made up of such idiots, and he wouldn't have to deal with anything harsher.

It was on that high note that Momo found himself in Atobe's mansion the following weekend, navigating his way back to Atobe's room after getting a snack from the kitchen. His 'snack' had ended up being a platter of baby back ribs, but hey, he was a growing boy. Besides, he could always share some with Atobe (though he was fairly certain he wouldn't).

Momo turned a corner, taken aback as he crashed into something tall, slender, and furry. The tray of ribs slipped out of his hands, to which he mentally cried 'my food!' before he realized what exactly his food had landed on. There in front of him was a rather statuesque woman, her head to toe fur coat splattered with barbeque sauce, her features much too similar to Atobe's to be a mere servant. Momo gaped, as he was fairly certain who this woman was, and she was wearing the same expression Atobe always wore when he was mad and not just a little disgusted.

"Umm... eh..." Not knowing what to do, Momo bowed, though that didn't soften the woman's glowering. "I'm sorry, really sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going-"

"Never mind that," the woman drawled, her voice both haughty and commanding. "Who on earth are you?"

Momo took a deep breath before answering, his name rushing out in one quick string. "Momoshiro Takeshi, ma'am."

There was a pause then as the woman studied him, and Momo's heart rate beat in his ears as he waited for her to say something. He didn't think that Atobe would have mentioned his name in front of his parents, so maybe his mother wouldn't know who he was, but he didn't know what else to say... there was no way he was going to say he was Atobe's boyfriend, and his mind was completely drawing blanks on anything else.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the woman's face shifted, a pleasant smile replacing the frown she had been wearing. "I see."

Momo straightened up a little, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Now that the woman was smiling he could see that she really was very beautiful, her soft features a more feminine version of Atobe's. She was a striking blend of Japanese and Caucasian features, and her dark blond hair was held in an elaborate updo around her face.

"You must be Keigo's... friend." There was a type of disdain to the way she said 'friend', but it was completely lost on Momo, who thought she was being surprisingly amicable. "I've heard so much about you."

"Really?" Now that was another surprise.

"Oh, yes. You must dinner with us some time soon, so that we may come to know you better." Her hand reached out for Momo, fingers curling around the bare skin of his upper arm, firm and cold.

"Momoshiro, what on Earth is taking you so long?"

Both Momo and the woman turned to look in the direction of the new voice, and Atobe froze as he came another step closer, suddenly aware that Momo wasn't the only person there.

"Mother," he greeted, his head turned down in a small nod, and all of Momo's suspicions about the woman's identity were confirmed.

"My precious son." There was a warmth in her smile now, though her tone was exactly the same as it had been when addressing Momo. She moved towards her son, every movement elegant, almost regal, and brushed her fingers through his hair. For his part, Atobe didn't move, just stood there with an almost wary expression. "On Saturday your friend will join us for dinner."

"Yes, mother," Atobe replied, and with that his mother turned and left, the scent of her perfume lingering in the hallway.

"I trust you don't have any plans Saturday," Atobe said, and it jolted Momo from where he had been staring after Atobe's mother.

"I... guess not."

Atobe turned and headed back to his room then, giving Momo just enough time to spare a glance at his ruined snack before running after him.

"Oi, Atobe," he said, catching up to the other boy, whose pace was quicker than Momo would have expected. Something Atobe's mother said had made him curious... and not a little bit proud. "What exactly did you tell your parents about me?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"Oh." Momo's pride deflated. "But-"

"It's not as though the servants don't report back to my parents," Atobe said, in a tone of voice that made it clear he felt Momo an idiot for not figuring it out himself.

"Geez..." Momo fell back a little, not knowing what to make of Atobe's sudden change of mood. Just twenty minutes ago they had been laughing over some sort of joke while in bed, and now Atobe was rubbing at his temples as though to calm a pounding headache. "Just because you have issues with your mom, doesn't mean you need to take them out on me."

Atobe sent him a scathing look, one which Momo was quite immune to despite it never actually having been used on him, though the fact that Atobe was actually looking at him like that wasn't settling well with his stomach. They were back in Atobe's room now, silent tension filling the large space, with neither boy really wanting to say anything to the other. With no noises to distract him, Momo found himself thinking about Atobe's mother, and the fact that he would soon be dining with both of Atobe's parents slowly sunk into his head. Well, it shouldn't be that nerve-racking... Atobe's mother had been nice enough.

"If you're thinking my mother's a pleasant woman, you're sadly mistaken."

"Huh?" Momo frowned as he climbed into bed, Atobe already there and pulling out a book from his nightstand. "But she was nice to me. And it's not like she was horrible to you either."

"Yes, she's such the doting mother," Atobe said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. But then he gave a small sigh, and his tone of voice softened to the one Momo was most used to. "Momoshiro, my mother is not what most people would call a decent person. It would be best to be wary of her."

Momo crossed his arms behind his head, contemplating for a moment before rolling over to his side. Atobe had his book open, eyes focused on the page, but they didn't seem to be moving. "Why are you so upset about this? It's just your mother."

Atobe closed his book. He seemed to think about it for a little bit, but then a sardonic type of smile crossed his lips, and he put the book down as he reached to turn off the light. "You're right, I shouldn't be so upset. After all, you're the one who will need to make a good impression on Saturday."

Momo frowned as the light from Atobe's bedside lamp went off... make a good impression? He hadn't thought about that, but it was true. What if Atobe's parents hated him? What if they didn't approve? Something ate at the pit of his stomach, and as Atobe snuggled up to him to go to sleep Momo's eyes were still wide open and staring at the ceiling. What would he wear? How should he act? Did he remember dining room etiquette?

"Nighty night," Atobe mumbled, his tone carefree and teasing, but Momo didn't notice. He was now to busy being consumed by worry.

Saturday came far too quickly, and Momo soon found himself seated in formal suit at Atobe's large dining room table, his heart pulsing loud and clear in his ears. Atobe, seated across from him, would occasionally tell him to stop fidgeting, though his periods of rest only lasted a few seconds before he would start twitching again. He looked down... for the life of him he couldn't remember which fork was the salad fork and which was the entrée fork and which was the desert fork... and he gave a double take. There weren't any forks or utensils on the table.

"In good company, the proper silverware is brought out with each course," Atobe drawled, with his uncanny ability to sense exactly what Momo was thinking about.

"I know that," Momo replied, a bit sheepishly at that. A few minutes later the doors opened, and Momo stood up as Atobe's parents came into the room. They took their seats at the far ends of the table, Atobe's father seeming somewhat surprised that there was a fourth guest.

"Darling," Atobe's mother said, a few moments after they were seated, "this is Atobe's friend, Momoshiro."

Atobe's mother was studying Momo in a way that made him very uncomfortable, with a smile that wasn't entirely pleasant on her face. Understanding gradually dawned on Atobe's father's face, and he, too, turned to give Momo an appraising stare. "Ah. So you're the boy who the servants tell me has been eating us out of house and home... no small feat in that."

Momo, awkward, glanced at Atobe, who only shrugged back at him.

"What I don't understand," Atobe's father continued, turning back to his son, "is why your friend spends so much time at our home. Does he not have a family?"

"He's my guest, father," Atobe replied, a rather irritable scowl on his usually proud face.

"Darling," and to Momo's relief, Atobe's mother turned that strange smile on her husband instead, "you know our son. He's so kind... taking up whatever charity case comes his way."

"Takeshi is not a charity case, Mother."

Momo started at Atobe's use of his given name, but from the way his mother bristled, Atobe probably did it just to bother her. Momo, for his part, had no idea what to say, and eagerly dug into his salad as soon as it appeared in front of him.

"Hmph. Rather inappropriate, for a boy to be spending so much time with you," Atobe's father said, and Momo realized that he had been completely disregarded. Aside from that initial stare, Atobe's father hadn't looked at him once, and was now speaking as though he wasn't even in the room.

"I disagree," Atobe replied, an edge to the casualness in his voice, "I find it's only natural to spend so much time with the person you're sleeping with."

Momo choked and sputtered on a piece of spinach. He couldn't believe Atobe had just said that. When he looked up, he saw that Atobe's mother was a light shade of white, and his father's every muscle appeared tense. Atobe, on the other hand, looked as arrogant and self-satisfied as he always did.

The rest of dinner, needless to say, was a tense and silent affair, and Momo was quick to finish whatever was set in front of him. Despite his efforts of speeding it up though, the evening took an eternity to end, and it was a long, long time before dinner was over and Atobe's parents moved brusquely out of the room. Momo, after deciding it would be best not to spend the night, found himself with Atobe in the family town car, on his way home.

"You're not upset, are you?" There was a note in Atobe's voice that said he was genuinely concerned about whether Momo was upset or not, but Momo just shrugged in response.

"More like really embarrassed," he muttered. "I can't believe you said that."

A slow smile spread across Atobe's face. "Uncouth, perhaps, but it was worth it to see the expressions on their faces."

Atobe gave a small chuckle, but Momo had been thinking about the situation all throughout dinner, and he couldn't help but ask. "Your parents... they're not okay with you having a boyfriend."

"Most certainly not. I'm to carry on the family name, after all, get married and produce an heir."

"Well... won't you get in trouble then? Seeing me? What if they disown you?" As soon as Momo said it he thought perhaps that he was overreacting... but then, it wasn't past such traditional parents to disown 'unworthy' children.

"No." Atobe turned to face out the window, and when he spoke again, his voice was more distant than Momo was used to. "I know they would never disown me, just like they know I would never allow this relationship to last."

Silence. Utter and complete. And as the thought sunk in, as much as Momo was hurt he realized the rationality behind the statement. After all, Atobe had made clear before how seriously he took his responsibilities to his family. Still, Momo didn't know what else to say, and he spent the rest of the car ride staring down at his hands as Atobe gazed out the window.

It was still bothering him the next day, though his mother kept him occupied enough running errands so that he didn't dwell on it. He spent all morning and afternoon running around town on his bike, and then it was off to Taka-san's restaurant, to pick up sushi for dinner. He stepped through the restaurant doors, surprised to see two familiar faces sitting at the counter.

"Momo, what a pleasant surprise."

"Hey, Momo-sempai."

"Fuji-sempai... Echizen... what are you two doing here?" Momo asked, stepping up to where they were sitting, watching as Echizen tried to stuff a huge nagiri sushi into his mouth.

"Just picking up an early dinner," Fuji replied, the usual smile plastered on his face. He tilted his head a little then, studying Momo, before speaking again. "Is something the matter, Momo? You seem... off today."

"Not really," Momo lied, but from the way Echizen was smirking neither of them probably believed it.

"Boy troubles again, Momo-sempai?"

Momo shrugged, taking a seat next to them as he waited for Taka to show up.

"Definite boy troubles," Fuji said, picking up one of those wasabi rolls he liked so much. "You know, Momoshiro, if you ever want to talk, I'm always happy to lend an ear."

"No thanks, sempai," Momo said, a little suspicious, as he wasn't sure advice from Fuji was the best thing to take.

"Momo-sempai, that's mean. Fuji-sempai's given you plenty of good advice in the past."

"Why, thank you, Echizen."

Momo frowned, but that at least was true, and maybe it would help to get things off his chest. It's not like he was the type to keep secrets, any way. "Atobe's going to break up with me."

Even Fuji looked a little befuddled at that. "Atobe told you in advance that he was going to break up with you."

"Not exactly..." Momo trailed off, rubbing at the back of his head. "More like, he said we'd break up eventually."

If Momo was expected words of support from Fuji, he got the exact opposite.

"Well, that's probably true."

"Sempai?" It wasn't exactly what Momo was expecting to hear.

"Well," Fuji continued, and despite his pleasant tone of voice he struck Momo as oddly serious, "we're only in junior high. Not many couples formed so young last forever. And even if it's something as trite as love, first loves usually don't last. Or so they say."

Momo frowned, and then Echizen spoke up from around a piece of sashimi.

"Do you really think so, Fuji-sempai?"

"Aa, Echizen. I do."

Momo looked up, vaguely noticing that Echizen seemed to be frowning as much as he was. But then Taka showed up, and gave him a boat of sushi before sending him off.

Really, confiding in Fuji hadn't made Momo feel any better, though he couldn't argue with the truth behind Fuji's words. But then, if they were just going to break up, what was the point of being together in the first place? He walked home in a daze, but then he found another surprise when he stepped into the kitchen, where Atobe was wearing a frilly white apron as he cooked something with Momo's mother.

"Takeshi, where have you been?" His mother asked him, her expression changing from fawning smile to scowl. "We've been waiting forever."

Atobe half-smiled, half-smirked at him, an oven-mitted hand resting on his waist. "Yes, Momoshiro, where have you been?"

"What are you doing here?" Momo asked, prompting his mother to hit him on the head with a rolled up newspaper. "Ow!"

"Don't be so rude to Keigo, Takeshi! After he took the time to come here to eat dinner with you! Really, Keigo's just so delightful... he's been helping me make taiyaki for the last hour... not like a certain son, who doesn't even know how to use a microwave."

"Alright, alright," Momo muttered, catching sight of the plate of taiyaki on the kitchen table.

"Aren't they beautiful?" His mother asked, her voice full of adoration. "And this is Keigo's first time cooking anything!"

Momo looked at the taiyaki closer, and true to form, they were perfect. It really was irritating, how Atobe was so good at everything.

"I filled them with chocolate. It... adds a western flair, no?"

Momo's mother nodded vigorously. "It's so inspired."

"Try one, Momoshiro."

"No, thank you."

"No, no, I insist."

Momo was about to protest again when Atobe stuffed half a fish into his mouth. He chewed through his frown. "Delicious."

"Of course," his mother cooed, "Keigo made them."

The rest of the family came in then, Momo's sister glomping onto Atobe's waist in a greeting, and it wasn't long before they settled into a pleasant family dinner. Really, it seemed so natural, and Momo almost forgot entirely about Atobe's parents and his family circumstances. They talked with one another, joked, and when Atobe smiled at him over the platters on their round kitchen table, Momo couldn't help but think... okay, so maybe they were going to break up some day. But at least until then, if it even happened at all, they could enjoy the time they had together. And even when they were old and married to other people, they could still look back of their memories together with fondness and affection.


	7. In Which it is Christmas

Christmas had never been a big celebration, or really any kind of celebration at all, in Momo's family. It was something he was aware of, of course, as around December some stores might have little decorations up or offer gift wrapping as one of their services, or bakeries might sell cakes that were a little more festive then usual. Still, it had never really had anything at all do with him.

So it was no small surprise that overtook him when Atobe announced, completely out of the blue, that Momo was to have the evening of the 25th completely open, as Atobe had already made reservations at one of the finest restaurants in town. It was all the more unexpected because it was so soon after that disastrous dinner with Atobe's parents, after which Atobe had clearly admitted that their relationship was not meant to continue in the long term.

So that was it, discussion closed, and Momo supposed they would be back to normal until the day came when they had to break up. He imagined, what with Atobe graduating and going on to high school, that day would be coming soon.

But those thoughts were far from his head at the moment, and Momo was more preoccupied pondering over what he found to be rather embarrassing images. Atobe had mentioned the restaurant was high up in some hotel, and now Momo had that stereotypical Christmas vision in his head... two lovers, looking out into the night sky from high above, drinking colored sake (true, they were underage, but Atobe seemed to be able to do anything he wanted to)....

Nooo.... Momo shook his head. Too embarrassing. Well, at least Christmas meant he'd get to eat some good food. He was wondering what kind of cuisine the restaurant served when he felt a small smack on the back of his head, and looked up to see Echizen frowning above him.

"Echizen! What are you doing here?"

"I was expecting you to pick me up an hour ago, Momo-sempai. Now we're two times as late as we usually are."

"Late?" Momo blinked and rubbed his head... what was Echizen talking about? "Late to where?"

"Didn't you get Oishi's message? We're going to take a team trip to the hot springs today."

The hot springs... but... "I have plans tonight."

"So leave early, it's not that far away."

Momo contemplated protesting, but then he figured he had plenty of time to get back for dinner at nine, so went to get his things instead. He and Echizen walked to the train station, where they met up with the rest of the Seigaku regulars plus Fuji's little brother.

"Oi, what took you so long, you guys?" Eiji complained, his voice a pout as he hopped from foot to foot impatiently. "We've been waiting in the cold forever!"

"Now, now, Eiji," came Oishi's calming voice, "they're here now."

The team clambered onto the next train, their voices a mish mash as they chatted with one another. But soon enough they settled into a more sedate grouping. Momo had sat down to play cards with Taka, while Echizen and Yuuta were sitting awkwardly and silently by themselves. Fuji had been there with them a moment ago, but was now talking to Inui about something. Tezuka and Oishi were discussing something as well, probably to do with either tennis or class, Eiji popping up every now and then to bother them. Kaidoh, as unsociable as always, Momo thought, was sitting by himself.

It took a little less then an hour to get to their destination, and then they had to cram into a taxi for fifteen minutes. Soon enough they had come to a cottage at the base of a mountain, surrounded by woods and snow. The more energetic members all but bounded into it, Eiji the first one to go in search of the spring. He came back a few minutes later though, a pout on his face.

"Oiiishi. Where's the onsen?"

Eiji said this at the same time Yuuta said, his voice low and curious, "What's that?"

All the regulars turned to look, faces growing pale as one by one they caught sight of the very large pitcher Inui was holding. It was thick and chunky and the brownish yellow color of vomit, small bits of things floating around in it.

"Well," Oishi started, and every one realized he was holding shovels, one for each of them, "this isn't a normal onsen. We have to hike up the mountain and then dig our own."

"It will be good training," Tezuka interjected.

"The one who contributes the least to digging," Inui said, a gleam in his eyes that showed even through his thick glasses, "gets to try my special holiday eggnog."

Half the team looked like they were about to throw up. Fuji, the ever present smile on his face, was one of the people who didn't look phased at all. "What kind of eggs did you use, Inui?"

"Balut."

"Mmm. Sounds delicious."

Momo shoved Kaidoh out of the way as he rushed to get a shovel. Blended Balut eggs weren't his cup of tea to begin with, but... he shuddered to think what else Inui had put in there that he wasn't telling them.

"Out of the way, Mamushi!" He grabbed a shovel and started running... if he got there first, he'd have more time relative to the others to dig, and he wouldn't have to drink that horrible, horrible liquid. Unfortunately, every one else had the same idea, and soon they found themselves in a race up that narrow mountain path.

It was a fairly long path, and as they were running up they soon became very hot and sweaty, not even feeling the cold anymore at all. Once they got to the dig site it was a frenzy, every one digging wildly and generally getting in every one else's way. Momo himself got hit by a stray shovel no less than a dozen times. Compounded to that was the fact that Taka-san, shovel in hand, was now in "burning" mode, and was digging in a rather dangerous and frantic fashion.

Pretty soon, though, they had dug a fairly large hole, big enough to fit all of them with some room to spare. As it filled up with water they discarded their clothes on the ground and climbed in, the natural heat of the water a wonderful contrast to the cold mountain air.

Inui cleared his throat, and every one turned to see him holding onto a cup of Balut eggnog. "Yuuta. I believe this is yours."

Yuuta's face went horribly white, but then Fuji was interjecting.

"Hold on, Inui. If I recall, you didn't dig at all."

"But... I was supervising."

"I hardly think that's fair, Inui," Fuji said, and now his eyes were open to show just the smallest hints of blue, "you said it yourself: whoever contributes the least to digging has to drink it. Yuuta's not drinking that."

Yuuta, for once, seemed immensely relieved that Fuji was a rather overprotective sort of brother. Inui, on the other hand, had a strange expression of doom written on his face.

"Aa. What a dilemna." Inui stopped, for a moment, to push his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "I really... don't want to drink this."

"Serves you right for making something you can't drink yourself," Kaidoh muttered under his breath, and Momo wondered if the rumors that Kaidoh often served as Inui's unwilling test subject were true.

Still, there was little Inui could do to get out of drinking his concoction, and the others watched as he slowly swallowed the foul stuff, and promptly fainted face down in the hot spring. Taka-san was kind enough to drag him out and lay him on the snow, and then it was business as usual, although the "business" was more of the fooling around and relaxing variety. Taka-san had brought some bottles of real eggnog, saying that it was a special holiday item his sushi bar was trying out, and they heated it in the spring before pouring it out into little plastic cups.

It was fun, but Momo still found himself looking towards his watch every twenty minutes or so, calculating out the time he would need to get back to Tokyo. It was dark when every one decided to head back to the cabin, and they climbed out of the heated water into the cold shock of the air. As they stood shivering they made another discovery... their clothes, which had been drenched in sweat after their earlier activities, were now frozen solid.

"Hmm," Fuji said, calm as always, "I suppose it's a nice night for streaking, wouldn't you say?"

And so, naked and freezing, the boys ran all the way back down the mountain. When they got there they found a dinner laid out for them (Oishi, of course, had ordered it in advance), but by this point Momo had to leave. He found another change of clothes in his backpack, said his good byes, and climbed into a waiting taxi, content in the fact that he had two whole hours to get back to Tokyo.

So it was disconcerting when Momo realized the snow was coming down pretty heavy, and the car was traveling at a snail's pace. Still, he told himself, it wasn't a big deal, a fifteen minute drive wouldn't take too long, no matter what the weather. So they crept along, slow and steady, Momo staring at his watch the whole time. And then, horror of horrors, the car made a strange wheezing sound and stopped. The driver accelerated, tried again, but no good... the car was stuck.

"What's going on?" Momo asked, even more horrified when the man turned the engine off, though he left the heater on.

"No good," he explained, "there's too much snow on the road."

"So, what? We're stuck here?"

"At least until some one with snow tires comes by."

Momo fall back into his seat with a heavy thud, looking out his window incredulously. It was hard to see past the swirling white clouds the surrounded them, but he didn't think any one would be coming down this road any time soon. Coming to a decision, he started opening the door, though it took him a few moments to push it out against the snow.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?" The driver asked, but Momo was already handing him some money.

"Thanks," Momo said, "but I'll walk from here."

He heard the man mumble a "suit yourself" before stepping out into the snow, half-regretting his decision when he sunk into the rather deep stuff. It came up to about mid-calve, but it's not like he had any other option, and he started a brisk pace towards the train station. At one point he contemplated running, but it was hard enough to get past the snow even speed walking, and he still found himself stumbling quite often. With every passing minute the snow seemed to get deeper, the weather seemed to get colder, and Momo thought that Atobe better appreciate the lengths he was going through to get to their dinner.

It was forever before he saw the lights of the train station, and forever more before he actually got there, but then he was pulling the door open against thick snow. Somehow he managed to open it just enough to fall into the warmth of the station, dragging in a huge pile of snow while he was at it.

There were about seven people there, staring at him with expressions that ranged from indifference to mild surprise, but Momo only shook the snow off of himself before walking up to the ticket counter.

"The next train to Tokyo, please."

"Honey," the woman behind the counter said, looking at him as if he was crazy, "there's no getting to Tokyo in this weather. You won't even be able to leave this station, with the storm and all."

Momo's heart dropped, looking out the windows overlooking the track as he realized the gravity of the situation. The train tracks were completely covered... why, the wall of snow outside the window itself must have been four feet tall already. Really, he should have realized the trains wouldn't be able to run sooner.

"When do you think they'll start running again?" he asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer to that question already.

"Not until tomorrow morning, at the earliest. The storm's going to get worse before it gets better."

Momo sighed and, resigned, settled into one of the hard plastic chairs in the station. He guessed he would have to spend the night here.

* * *

 

Atobe sighed and hit the number on the speed dial again. The other patrons of the restaurant were giving him rather odd looks, as well they might, as he had been sitting there for over two hours doing nothing but drinking water and dialing his cell phone.

Voicemail, again. Atobe placed his phone back down next to his immaculate place setting, staring out the window. And after he had arranged for the very best seats, too... you could see almost all of Tokyo from here, blanketed by white, glistening in the starlight. With the gently falling snow it was like looking into a snow globe.

"Excuse me, Atobe-san," came a voice above the clamor of diners in the room, and Atobe looked up to see the host himself holding out a martini glass filled with rich green sake. "Compliments of the owner."

Atobe took the proffered drink, but inwardly snorted. Maybe it was their pity that had sent him the drink, of which he scarcely needed, or maybe it was a peace offering so that he would leave. They had, after all, other patrons to seat. He took one sip and placed the glass back down on the table, staring at the empty seat across from him. But where on Earth was Momoshiro?

At first, when Momoshiro had been late, Atobe had felt the most minor of annoyances. But then, as time wore on, that irritation turned to worry, though he was loath to admit it, even to himself. But more than that... well, more than that, there was disappointment, and Atobe couldn't help but let a small frown cross his face.

He picked up his glass again, swirling it around slightly before taking slow slips of the sake. He could smell the roasted meats and potatoes that were scattered throughout the room, and it made his stomach feel empty, but he could scarcely bring himself to eat. Wherever Momoshiro was, Atobe thought with a smile, he was sure to be even hungrier... after all, the boy's stomach was nearly bottomless.

"Excuse me, sir," and this time it was one of the waiters who was disturbing him, "but we'll be closing soon. Would you like to order something?"

Atobe shook his head, casting one last glance into the night sky. "No. That will be all."

He left a generous tip, though any tip on a bill of zero dollars might be considered generous, and made his way out of the restaurant. His chauffeur pulled up as he left the hotel, and then it was a ten minute ride back to his house. His parents were gone; they always were, for the holidays, either for business or on the separate vacations they liked to take. Atobe believed his mother was in Fiji at the moment, his father in Belize. Even most of the servants had been given time off, and his house was too empty, too quiet, as he made his way through it. It would have been nice if Momoshiro was here.

Through cavernous hallways, towards his room... his private sanctuary, though today they were three very large chests half-packed and open sitting on his floor, only to remind him of something he didn't really want to think about right now. They were part of the reason why he had wanted tonight's dinner to be special.

He read for a few hours, then he slept, until the gentle ringing of his cell phone woke him at five in the morning. He knew who it was before even checking the caller id, and he quickly reached for his phone and flipped it open.

"Momoshiro?"

"Hey," came Momoshiro's sheepish voice, though there seemed to be an air of relief in his voice as well, maybe because he had managed finally to get through to Atobe. "Sorry."

"Well, it is the season of forgiveness," Atobe responded, a smile on his lips and in his voice. "But where, pray tell, are you?"

"Somewhere in the mountains. I was about to go back to Tokyo but I got caught up in a snowstorm over here. It's over now, but there's, like, eight feet of snow outside the station, and they don't think the trains will be running until the afternoon."

"Outside the station? Momoshiro, have you been spending the night in a train station?"

"Umm... yeah... but don't read too much into it, your ego's big enough as it is."

Atobe laughed a little, and so did Momoshiro on the other side of the line, as distorted by static the noise was. It made him feel nice, at the very least, that they could talk on the phone like this.

"How was the food?" Momoshiro asked, and Atobe imagined he could hear Momoshiro's stomach grumbling on the other line. "And the colored sake?"

"Delightful. They had the most succulent pot roast... none of which I ate, of course, as I was waiting for you. How are... the mountains?"

Momo chuckled a little. "The same as they always are." A long pause, and then: "Look, Atobe, sorry I ruined your Christmas."

"You didn't ruin it," Atobe was quick to say. "I would have liked to spend it with you, of course, but late night telephone conversations have their charm as well." And, maybe because he was still half-asleep: "And it's nice to be able to hear your voice."

"Geez," Momo said, his voice a little bit louder, "don't say something so embarrassing!"

There was a silence then, small and entirely comfortable, and Atobe happened to glance at the chests on his floor. He was supposed to tell Momoshiro today... he hadn't wanted to do it over the phone, but he wouldn't have any other chances. "Momoshiro... I've decided I'm not going to go to Hyoutei for high school."

"Oh?" Momoshiro asked, but from his voice, maybe he already knew on some level.

"I have the opportunity to spend my high school years abroad. In France, actually."

Silence, breathing, and a sense of finality that tugged on his stomach. Momoshiro didn't say anything, so he continued.

"I'm leaving in the morning to tour the campus. I'll be back in Tokyo for a few days in January, but..."

"But you'll be busy," Momoshiro finished, and there was a sort of forced cheerfulness in his voice. "So this is it."

"Yeah," Atobe said, surprised to hear his voice crack a little bit. He had always known their story would have an ending, but he was sorely unprepared for how much he would despise it.

"Okay," was Momoshiro's answer.

"I... that is, I..." but whatever Atobe was about to say, he couldn't find it in himself to finish. "... it's been fun."

"Yeah. It's been a lot of fun. Umm... so I guess we should say goodbye now, huh?"

"No, just... keep the phone on. Even if we don't have anything to say, even if we fall asleep... it's nice to know that you're on the other end of this line."

"Yeah. Okay."

Atobe could hear Momoshiro's breathing on the other end of the phone, and they really didn't have anything left to say to one another, but that was okay. He didn't know how long he lay on his bed in that comfortable silence, but then he fell asleep, and when he woke up it was to dial tone. The servants had finished packing his things as he slept, and now it was time to go.


End file.
